Disney released the final trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but John Malkovich’s name is missing from the accompanying press release. He was previously listed among the cast, sparking speculation he’d play the villainous Red Ghost.
Now, his absence raises questions about whether his role was cut, recast, or is being kept under wraps.
Update: Director Matt Shakaman confirms John Malkovich has been cut.
Malkovich Name Missing from Official Cast List
The latest press release from Disney makes no mention of John Malkovich, despite his name appearing in earlier promotional materials. His rumored role was Red Ghost, a Soviet-era scientist who uses invisibility and commands super-powered apes. The omission suggests something changed during post-production or that Marvel is holding back on confirming his role for story reasons.
The press release still states the main cast in addition to stating: “The action adventure also stars Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles.” But again, no John Malkovich.
What it could mean
Studios sometimes omit cast members to preserve surprises, especially for characters tied to major plot points. Red Ghost has deep ties to the Fantastic Four’s early comic history, and Marvel may be positioning him for a third-act twist or post-credits reveal. On the other hand, Malkovich may have exited the project entirely, or his scenes could have been cut or delayed for a later installment.
When the casting was first announced, Malkovich told GQ, “The reason I didn’t do them had nothing to do with any artistic considerations whatsoever. I didn’t like the deals they made, at all.”
He continued, “These films are quite grueling to make…. If you’re going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me. You don’t want to pay me, it’s cool, but then I don’t want to do it, because I’d rather be onstage, or be directing a play, or doing something else.”
Release info
With just weeks until release, fans won’t have to wait long to find out. The Fantastic Four: First Steps gets released on July 25 directed by Matt Shakman.
Per the official synopsis from the press release: Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family — Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
